New Westchester restaurants offer fresh twist on tacos, Thai, fusion
In a span of a month, three new restaurants have opened — or are about to open — in Peekskill. 140 Kitchen, where Gleason's had originally been, opens Feb. 9; Taco District, from the husband-and-wife team behind Peekskill's Iron Vine, opens Feb. 12; and the owners of Peekskill Smokehouse, who rebranded to Thaimless Thai, have been open since Jan. 10.
Why the sudden burst of spots? Opportunity, say the owners. That, plus a love for (and belief in) the city.
It's a belief Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie, who grew up in here, can relate to. "I believe restaurants are attracted to Peekskill due to its diverse population and thriving arts and entertainment scene," she said.
"We are booming with new developments and our new residents as well as our long time residents appreciate a great place to dine and connect with the community."
Details follow.
Taco District
Hever and Dina Palacios, owners of Iron Vine Tapas Bar And Restaurant, are excited to share their Guatemalan culture and flavors with their snazzy new taco spot, set to open 11:30 a.m. Feb. 12. The two-story building, which had previously held offices, features a bar on each floor along with a rooftop patio, which will open come warm weather.
The two have both been in in the restaurant business for more than 20 years— Dina's father was a chef in Guatemala, and cooked for John Paul II as well as for the local politicians, while Hever started working in kitchens at 16 when he first came to this country. They took over Iron Vine three years ago (the restaurant has existed for nine) and long had a vision for something they could create on their own from the ground up.
And create from the ground up they did, doing much of the work themselves.
"I literally thought of everything I wanted to do from the furniture to the plants to the stairway to the bar," said Dina Palacios. "My husband and I put our minds together and we designed it.
"I wanted to create an earthy, tropical vibe with an agave feel."
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To accomplish that, they found area artists who could master their vision. That includes colorful 3-D leaves by Scott Garrett, a mural on the rooftop by Brandon Cruz that features pineapples and flower and plant arrangements by José Pimentel (Dina Palacios loves plants and even has them in the bathroom).
Both dining rooms — the restaurant can accommodate about 65 — include a mixture of blue, orange and beige colors, marble bars, and, at least on the lower level, exposed brick. The first floor also features seating by the window, adding to the sunny atmosphere.
As for the food, the couple want to educate people about their culture (they're from Guatamala City) and the flavors that encompass it.
With Taco District as the restaurant's moniker, diners can expect a host of tacos such as pernil, birria, chorizo, falafel, portobello, salmon and Baja fish as well as salads and ceviche. Other standout items include District street corn with cotija cheese, chorizo, cilantro and grilled green onion and a shrimp ceviche with calamar, aguachile, avocado, cilantro, lime and plantain chips, the latter of which are made in house.
The restaurant is also big on its cocktails with De Nada liquor, all of which have been curated by the Palacios' daughter, Kathy, who, thanks to growing up in the business, also has years of experience under her belt (some may know her from the Iron Vine).
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily starting Feb. 12, though hours may change once they gauge the demand.Address: 20 N. Division St., 914-293-7472
140 Kitchen
Enzo De Raco likes to say he's come full circle with the opening of 140 Kitchen, which opens at 7 p.m. Feb. 9.
That's because, from 2017 to 2019, he was the chef at Gleason's, which used to be in located in the space (they've since moved to a larger spot at 23 S. Division St.)
So, when he and his business partner Anthony Maguire heard the location was available, they jumped. Both own Slainte Peekskill (next to the current Gleason's) as well as 140 Grand in Croton-on-Hudson.
This time, though, De Raco has Chef Shauna Leigh Franz, a 14-year restaurant veteran, doing the cooking: a fusion of Asian flavors, "down home good Southern cooking" and French technique. They're also doing a little taste of barbecue, having brought the smoker from the old Peekskill Smokehouse.
Franz is self-taught, but cooking is in her blood. Her mother graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and was the first female line cook at The Russian Tea Room in Manhattan (Franz says she was making cookies in the Tea Room kitchen from age seven.)
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De Raco, on the other hand, had a career in IT before eventually going to culinary school at Manhattan's Institute of Culinary Education and cooking in various Westchester kitchens, including X20 in Yonkers and PikNik in Tarrytown —where he caught the barbecue bug.
Fans of the old Gleason's will recognize the same layout, but with a slightly different look, featuring new floors, burgundy walls, added barnwood and a new iron rack behind the bar.
In keeping with their 140 brand, they brought in the living wall of greenery they had at their Croton restaurant which spells out 140 (great for the Insta).
Menu items include pork bao buns, smoked Gouda truffle mac and cheese, brisket, calamari, burgers, Miso cod, New York strip steak, broccoli tempura and salad.
And more's on the way. De Raco and Maguire plan on opening The Peek-Easy next door at 907, a combination ice cream shop/slash cocktail bar. Peek-A-Boo Creams should (hopefully) open in May (or June) with the bar hidden behind it.
De Raco plans on offering both craft cocktails as well as food (this and 140 Kitchen share the same kitchen). He also expects Franz to make the ice cream in-house and perhaps also include baked goods. It's still early in the process, however, so stay tuned to The Journal News/lohud for details.
Hours: 5 p.m. to close Tuesday to Thursday (with the kitchen probably closing around 9:30 p.m.); from noon to close Friday to SundayAddress: 911 South St., 914-257-4000
Thaimeless Thai
"Thai tradition meets Peekskill passion" is the motto at this rebranded spot, open since Jan. 10. Diners can expect items like Pad Thai, stir fry, curry, shrimp cakes with chili aioli and Thai spring rolls from Chef Nikki Lee from Peekskill's RameNesque.
Hours: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday Address: 15 N. Division St., 914-402-4288, thaimelessthai.com
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New Peekskill NY restaurants serve fresh twist on tacos, Thai, fusion
